5A high school football semifinals: Fremont gets defensive to top Syracuse

Fremont's Quarterback #18 Cooper Kelley tries passing as he falls to the ground with pressure from Syracuse's #50 Steven Carter as Fremont and Syracuse play Friday, Nov. 11, 2011 in a 5A Semifinal game at Rice Eccles Stadium at the University of Utah. Fremont won 21-14 in overtime.

Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

Summary

On a day when America honors those who have valiantly defended our country, it seemed only fitting that fierce, fired-up defense would rule the day in Friday's first 5A football semifinal showdown.

SALT LAKE CITY — On a day when America honors those who have valiantly defended our country, it seemed only fitting that fierce, fired-up defense would rule the day in Friday's first 5A football semifinal showdown.

In a physical, hard-fought defensive struggle that any U.S. soldier, fighter pilot or Navy Seal would've loved, Fremont High turned back Region 1 rival Syracuse 21-14 in a Veterans Day overtime thriller at the University of Utah's Rice-Eccles Stadium.

With the dramatic victory, which ended with a bit of controversy over the final play of the game, the Silver Wolves advanced to the 5A championship game for the second straight year. Fremont (10-2), which fell to Bingham in last year's title tilt, will face Lone Peak in next Friday's 5A finals on the Rice-Eccles Stadium turf.

"That's what we talked about before the season started. We wanted to get back to the championship game, and now we have a chance," said Fremont senior running back Nick Vigil, who ran for 166 yards and two touchdowns against a rugged Syracuse defense, then threw a surprise TD pass for the winning score in overtime. "So we're going to try and make it happen.

"We'd like to get used to this. We've never had one (state championship) before, and I think if we got one at the school maybe we could start a pretty good tradition down there. It'd be big for us."

After the two teams slugged it out to a tense 14-14 standoff at the end of regulation, Fremont got the ball first in overtime. Vigil pounded away at the Titans' defense on four consecutive rushing plays that pushed Fremont to the 3-yard line.

Then, in a brilliant bit of trickery, Vigil took a pitchout from Cooper Kelley, then stepped up and hit sure-handed Rowdy Stucki for the go-ahead touchdown on a seldom-seen halfback pass play.

"We've practiced it a few times. but not much," Vigil said. "I didn't even know I was throwing it there until the quarterback said, 'You're throwing it.' That's the first time we've run it in a game.

"I didn't think we'd call that play there at the end of the game. That was pretty cool and a good play-call. … Sometimes you've got to step up and make a play."

And make a play — a gutty, clutch play — the Silver Wolves did.

"I thought, 'Uh, oh, that's me.' I had to make a play for our team," Stucki said. "Our offensive line blocked wonderful, and that gave Vigil enough time to throw it.

"That's the first time we've run it in a game. It was just a great play all-around — the line, the throw, everything."

Logan George's PAT kick was true to make it 21-14, but now it was the Silver Wolves' turn to try and stop the Titans.

Trevor Davis hooked up with Matt Dunston on an 18-yard pass play that put Syracuse 7 yards away from a potential tying touchdown. But two running plays netted virtually nothing, and then Davis was sacked by Fremont's Luke Hollingsworth back at the 14.

So, on a do-or-die fourth-and-goal play, Davis zipped a short pass to Shane Russell, who stretched his best to put the ball over the goal line as he was being dragged down by a Fremont defender. Russell got the ball into the end zone, but officials ruled his knee was down before he had scored.

Video replays on the scoreboard Jumbotron left Fremont fans cheering and Syracuse faithful booing what they thought was a bad call that cost them a chance to possibly win or at least keep playing.

"It was pretty nerve-wracking," Vigil said, "but they said his knee was down. We lucked out a little there. … That was pretty scary and it was pretty close, but it's up to the refs."

Popular Comments

Mr. Jones, are you a big enough man to admit you were wrong after seeing the
replay? Very poor sportmanship.

6:00 p.m. Nov. 11, 2011

Top comment

papi_chulo

Ogden, UT

Mr. Jones needs to be fined by the UHSAA for his comments against the officials.
In professional sports coaches get fined all the time for making comments about
the refs or the officiating. All 10,000 people in the stadium saw that he was
down
More..

9:48 a.m. Nov. 12, 2011

Top comment

UTOutlaw

North Salt Lake, UT

LV Ute Fan, I thought they get it wrong watching it live, but the replay showed
that it was the right call... Well officiated game!

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